Dario Carrasco made Okotoks, Alberta his home in 2002 moving from Maple Ridge BC. This humble and artistic fellow never let up when it comes to drawing comics. After work and on his spare time, he works diligently either on his own comic projects or for other publishers. Evidently, his recent work can be read in the pages of Digital Webbing Presents #32, a 5^th year anniversary edition published by Digital Webbing. Digital Webbing is a comics-hub forum where comic book fans and creators alike showcase their works for fun and feedback to perfect their favorite and popular past time.

It began in 2002, when Dario became a frequent visitor of DW Forum and had asked Ed Dukeshire (publisher/owner of DW) to set up a forum exclusively for Panday Studio, his virtual studio and portfolio site. Ever since his forum was up, he met a lot of artists and writers, new and seasoned and by his invitations, joined the studio to work with him on Panday Studio own projects for self-publication in the near future. While busy creating comics, he conceptualized a fund raising campaign called COMICS FOR A CAUSE. CFAC was his brain child where he and a bunch of creators (artists/writers) will put together a comic book to publish, sell and the profits will go to charity. In his vision, individual talents can be used for charitable goal or purpose. That is the first and foremost mission of the cause. But due to his job, health and family activities, the CFAC program was put on hold.

In 2006, his program was launched when his uncle Francisco in the Philippines suffered Acute Renal Failure (Kidney Failure) from his Diabetes. He needed monetary help to cover the expenses for his urgent surgery to place a tube for his treatment. Francisco’s only means of livelihood is a small eatery stall beside a transport depot, where he and his family cook and sell food for drivers and passengers on their way to their work. The cost of hospitalization and medications are too expensive for this small income family. They simply cannot afford the medical expenses thru their small livelihood. When Dario found out about his uncle’s condition, he’s offered help right away by small savings. He instinctively thought about his CFAC program, and decided to launch it for Francisco to help raise funds to cover more of the expenses. While his wife and kids helped out in the printing of t-shirts, creating campaign slogans and posters, Dario toiled away on late hours and worked on his portfolio comics. He sold both comics and shirts to his officemates, friends and in a convention that year. Thru the sales of t-shirts and comics portfolio, he raised about $500. This fund and some donations from all his brothers and sister, he was able to put together enough funds to cover the cost of Francisco’s surgery. The surgery and the campaign was a success. Dario then decided that CFAC was to be his devotion. It’s going to be an annual campaign for him. This way his God given talent can help not only those people who are close to him but also to give back something to the community. He’s aiming his next goal for a community project.

Not until the early weeks of July 2007, he found out that his uncle needed help for his dialysis treatment. The cost for each dialysis session is about 9000 Pesos, equivalent to CDN $200. He needed at least two to three sessions a month. It was very hard for Francisco and his family to find the means to afford such cost. Since his surgery in 2006, the family has spent their resources to pay for his treatments. Dario decided to include Francisco to his campaign this year. As well, Dario was going to help his friend Lorenzo Vergara who was battling Lymphoma, cancer of lymph nodes, since February 2007. A group of friends of Lorenzo put together a relief campaign for his family to help cope with the household expenses. Lorenzo was out of work since his onset due to scheduled treatments and therapies. Dario and friends decided to help him thru the CFAC T-shirt fund.

In August 2007, both Francisco and Lorenzo died. It was a devastating time for Dario to have lost two people who are dear to him. His campaign for them didn’t make it on time. Though with heavy heart, Dario’s 2007 campaign is continuing on in September 30^th 2007 at the Comic & Toy Expo to be held at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, with the proceeds to help their families.

Dario’s original campaign was set for three charitable goals:

1) To help defray the cost of dialysis treatment his uncle Francisco in the Philippines required due to Kidney Failure from last year. Some of the proceeds from the Silent Auction and the books will go to his treatment expenses.

2) A family friend and a colleague, Lorenzo Vergara, who lives here in Calgary is battling Lymphoma, a cancer that affected his chest and neck. His family’s savings have been depleted and help is needed to subsidize his home and his family’s necessity. The proceeds from the t-shirt sales will be going to Lorenzo and family.

3) An officemate and one of the parents of Foothills Girl Soccer Team, donated frames for the Silent Auction to be held in Comic and Toy Expo, has asked if some of proceeds from the auction can help raise fund for team’s trust fund for their travel and equipment expenses. CFAC will donate some of the proceeds from the Silent Auction to the Foothills Girl Soccer Team.

To find out more about the expo, visit www.comicandtoy.ca and for details and how to support visit www.pandaystudio.com

DARIO’S COMICS HISTORY:

Dario’s first published work was Time City #5 by Rocket Comics in Vancouver BC (1990) and was followed by a short story for Ninja High School Annual from Antartic Press. In 1993, he did a non-sport card as Hot Picks for 1993 COMICS FUTURE STARS for Majestic Entertainment featuring his own creation Watchdog. From 1992 through 1994, he worked for Marvel Comics on the following titles like Alpha Flight #125-130, Northstar mini-series, Night Thrasher #21-22, Captain America #432, What If? #67-68, Nova #12-13, The Marvel Action Hour: Iron Man and Pinhead mini-series from Epic Comics. From 1994 through 1998, he moved over to Dark Horse Comics, where he worked on the following titles like Star Wars Tales Of The Jedi: The Sith War series, Golden Age Of The Sith series, Fall Of The Sith Empire series & Jedi Academy: Leviathan mini-series, all collaboration work with prolific writer/novelist Kevin J. Anderson. He recieved a STAR WARS Prolific Artist Certificate from Dark Horse Comics in 1996.

In 2000, Dario did some character designs, pencils for cover #1, and a pin-up gallery for Golden Crickets by Day Dream Press in Calgary. He also contributed his services on several projects for Modern Pulp Comics including online strips Constable IV and Lucifer Fawkes, as well as the one-shot comic book North Of Here, written by Ulf Imwiehe and slated to be published in 2007. He is also collaborating with Mike W. Barr, a veteran and seasoned writer on an upcoming brand new series of Sorcerer Of Fortune online comics exclusively for Komikwerks.

Dario also own and run a virtual studio called Panday Studio since 2002. It’s a venue for all aspiring creators to come in and join his collaboration projects. Some were mainly from his personal invitations, others were by inviting themselves in. He had never thought it would grow more than he had anticipated over the years. There were several loyal contributors who consistently submitted their creations as well worked with him on his own creations. He hopes he’ll be able to catch up with them in due time. His inspirations, creativity and motivations are cultivated more from working with a lot of talented creators in the industry today. In his own words, “I think Panday Studio is a great place to grow as creator/s, as we polish our work together and learn from each other in the process. Our creativity put together is boundless. I’m hoping that we would do more projects for years to come”. He is really blessed to have such talented folks who joined his studio. He knows that 2007 and years to come will have challenges for Panday Studio.

At present, Dario is busy working on a project created and written by actor/writer Kevin Grevioux, who also created the movie UNDERWORLD. The mini-series called THE SPOOK will be published by Moonstone Books slated for a 2008 release. On top of this and his day job, he’s also busy preparing a small fund raising campaign called Comics For A Cause which will be held at comics conventions in Calgary and Edmonton this Fall.